The Wheatland Lodge house 88, or so seniors, and with the way the COVID-19 affects the elderly, they are taking no chances when it comes to their residents' safety.

The Lodge is doing what it can to keep everyone on the same routine that they are used to even in these uncertain times. Christi Shworak, resident manager says," We have tried to keep all internal activities remaining exactly the same as they were before the quarantine.  We acknowledge all of the families that are waving and bringing signs and flowers.  The residents are making picture to hang on the wall  for the families to come and see. We definitely can't go outside to do outdoor activities, but we have our courtyards were they are getting a lot of fresh air, and   that is keeping spirits up now that the weather is turning really good."

The staff at the lodge decide to not play around with the safety of its' residents, and took the steps necessary to keep everyone safe says Shworak, "Because we were able to get this quarantine early we don't have people quarantined to their rooms at this time, so right now it is like one really big house where everyone is living together, and we are maintaining a safe environment for now."

Some residents felt more secure at their family homes, so they moved out, and the Wheatland Lodge is doing what they can to get their personal effects back to them as soon as possible.   Not only the physical health is being looked after but also the mental state.  The seniors have been working on a project that lets the staff visually see how that particular member is feeling on that day with colour.  Green, red, blue, and yellow smiley faces are hung outside of the doors of each room, so the staff can get a feeling of how everyone is doing.  If they are feeling blue, or melancholy they will be prompted with suggestions of how to better their mood to get back to the green zone.

Everyone is basically on the green mode for the time being, but one thought that weighs heavy on the minds of everyone is the length of time that this will go on.  Some think that it will be prolonged for a couple more weeks for safety sake, but only time will tell.